Tobacco-stemming rolls.



TOBACCO STEM nnnnnnnnn llllllll WQTNESSES: IIII NTIOR.

QM; ATTORNIEY NITED nrnnr FFIQE.

JOSEPH GOODENOUGI-I HAVENS, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

TOBACCO-STEIVIMING ROLLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,966, dated April 8, 1902. Application filed January 21, 1902. Serial No. 90,604. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH GOODENOUGH HAVENS, of Trenton, Mercer county, New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tobacco-Stemming Rolls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the removal of the leaf portion of tobacco from the stem and to stemming or stripping rolls constructed for that purpose. My said rolls have a plurality of circumferential grooves, and on each side of each groove oppositely-inclined portions of the periphery. Said rolls are employed in pairs. In one roll of the pair the inclined portions of the periphery adjacent to each groove form \l-shaped channels, and in the other roll of the pair said portions form V- shaped ribs. When a pair of rolls are placed in contact, the V-shaped ribs of one roll enter the \l-shaped channels of the other roll.

My invention further consists in forming the roll peripheries so that openings lenticular in cross-section are formed between said rolls for the reception of the stems.

By reason of the angles formed between the inclined portions of the periphery and between said portions and the grooves cutting edges are produced, which when the rolls are in contact shear the leaf from the stem on each side thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial section of myimproved stemming-rolls placed in juxtaposition for use. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line m w of Fig. 1.

Similar numbers of reference indicate like parts.

1 and 2 are supporting-shafts, upon which are formed or to which are secured in any suitable way the stemmingrolls 3 and 4. Both rolls have on their periphery a plurality of circumferential grooves, as 5 and 6 in roll 3 and as 7 and S in roll 4. Adjacent to each groove are inclined portions. Thus in roll 3 adjacent to groove 5 are inclined portions 9 10, and adjacent to groove 6 inclined portions 11 and 12. In roll 4 adjacent to groove 7 are inclined portions 13 14, and adjacent to groove 8 inclined portions 15 16. In roll 3 the inclined portions 10 11 form a V-shaped channel, and therefore on this roll the circumferential grooves alternate with In roll 3 the angles 17 and 18 between the V- shaped channels and circumferential grooves are cutting or shearing edges. In roll 4 the angle 19 at the apex of the V-shaped rib is also a cutting or shearing edge.

The cross-section of each circumferential groo ve is less than a semicircle. Hence when the rolls 3 4 are placed together in operating position, as shown in Fig. 1, the opening 20 formed by corresponding grooves is lenticular in cross-section.

The operation of the rolls is as follows: Referring to United States Letters Patent No. 678,485, granted to me July 16, 1901, my rolls may be employed in lieu of the rolls shown at and 61 in the drawings of said patent without change in the associated mechanism. The leaf being presented with the stem buttend foremost in the direction of the arrow at, Fig. 2, is inserted between the separated. rolls and grasped by traction-rolls, as described in said patent. The stripping-rolls then coming together rotate in the direction of the arrows 2'. The leaf is introduced without previous flattening or other preparation and becomes compressed in the lenticular opening 20, in which the stem is received. That portion of the leaf which extends laterally beyond the opening 20 is acted upon by the shearing edges 17 18 19, or, in other words, the leaf being compressed in the lenticular opening tends to expand into the space between the V-shaped ribs and V-shaped channels, and the shearing edges 17 18 19 then slit or cut it away .from the stem. Of course the greatest degree of compression of the leaf occurs when it is first introduced butt-end foremost; but even as the quantity of leaf (owing to the tapering form thereof) gets less still it forces itself between the ribs and channels, and therefore the slitting, and hence stripping, action continues down to or very nearly to the extremity of the leaf.

As these rolls are arranged in the machine means are usually provided to enable them to separate slightly in event of foreign hard subjects passing between them jointly with the leaf. The tendency of the traction-rolls or other feeding device would then be to move the leaf quickly onward through the now-enlarged space, so that it might not properly be acted on by the shearing edges. The interlocking of the V-shaped portions prevents this, since, as is evident, the separation of rib and channel to any ordinary extent does not render the channel between them the less tortuous, and hence the leaf cannot be drawn through any the more easily, while the shearing edges continue to act on the leaf despite such separation.

I claim- 1. Aleaf-stemming roll having a circumferential groove, and on each side of said groove inclined smooth portions of its periphery;

2. A leaf-stemming roll having a circumferential groove, inclined smooth portions on each side of said groove, and circumferential cutting edges at the angles of said inclined portions.

3. A leaf-stemmin g roll having a circumferential groove, and on each side of said groove two oppositely-inclined portions of its pe riphery.

4. The combination of two leaf-stemming rolls one having circumferential grooves and alternating V-shaped channels, and the other similar circumferential grooves and altern ating V-shaped ribs; the said ribs of one roll being received in the said channels of the other roll.

5. The combination of two leaf-stemming rolls, each having its periphery so formed as that when said rolls are placed in juxtaposition lenticular openings are produced between said rolls for the reception of the leaf to be stemmed.

6. The combination of two leaf-stemming rolls each having a circumferential groove, the said groove extendingin crosssection over an are less than a semicircle; whereby when said rolls are placed in juxtaposition with their grooves opposite and corresponding,lenticular openings are formed between said rolls.

7. The combination of the roll 3 having the grooves 5 and intermediate channelslO, 11, with the roll 4 having the grooves 7 and in termediate ribs 14, 15 adapted to enter said channels 10, 11.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH GOODENOUGH IIAVENS.

Witnesses:

I. A. VAN WART, H. R. MILLER. 

